Report server caching

1. A method for processing report requests, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving a new report request; determining whether a new report specified by the new report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to a time associated with the new report request, wherein the specified time is specified by the new report request; if the new report satisfies a set of conditions which includes that the new report was previously generated within the specified time prior to the time associated with the new report request, then providing a previously generated report; and if the new report does not satisfy a set of conditions which includes that the new report was previously generated within a specified time prior to the time associated with the new report request, then generating and providing the new report.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether a new report specified by the current report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to a time associated with the new report request includes comparing the new report request to a previous report request.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of comparing the new report request to a previous report request includes comparing a report parameter associated with the new report request to a report parameter associated with the previous report request.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of saving a report parameter associated with the new report request.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of deleting a previously generated report that has existed for more than a specified time.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein: the time associated with the new report request is a time the new report request was received, and the step of determining whether a new report specified by the new report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to a time associated with the new report request includes determining whether a new report specified by the new report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to receiving the new report request.

7. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for processing report requests, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: receiving a new report request; determining whether a new report specified by the new report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to a time associated with the new report request, wherein the specified time is specified by the new report request; if the new report satisfies a set of conditions which includes that the new report was previously generated within the specified time prior to the time associated with the new report request, then providing a previously generated report; and if the new report does not satisfy a set of conditions which includes that the new report was previously generated within a specified time prior to the time associated with the new report request, then generating and providing the new report.

8. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the step of determining whether a new report specified by the current report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to a time associated with the new report request includes comparing the new report request to a previous report request.

9. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of comparing the new report request to a previous report request includes comparing a report parameter associated with the new report request to a report parameter associated with the previous report request.

10. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, further comprising the step of saving a report parameter associated with the new report request.

11. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, further comprising the step of deleting a previously generated report that has existed for more than a specified time.

12. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein: the time associated with the new report request is a time the new report request was received, and the step of determining whether a new report specified by the new report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to a time associated with the new report request includes determining whether a new report specified by the new report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to receiving the new report request.

13. A method for processing database report requests, the method comprising the steps of receiving a new report request; comparing a report parameter specified by the new report request to a report parameter specified by a previous report request to determine whether a new report specified by the new report request is the same as a prior report specified by the previous report request; if the new report is the same as the prior report and the prior report was generated within a specified time prior to a time associated with the new report request, then providing the prior report; and if either the new report is not the same as the prior report or the previous report was not generated within the specified time prior to the time associated with the new report request, then generating the new report, saving the new report, and saving a report parameter specified by the new report request.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the step of comparing a report parameter specified by the new report request to a report parameter specified by a previous report request includes the step of comparing a first ordered ASCII string reflecting a parameter value associated with the new report request to a second ordered ASCII string reflecting a parameter value associated with the previous report request.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the step of checking a report status of the prior report.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the time associated with the new report request is a time the new report request was received.

17. A report processing system comprising: a report cache configured to store one or more reports; and a report server communicatively coupled to the report cache, the report server being configured to: receive a new report request from a client application; determine whether a new report specified by the new report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to a time associated with the new report request; if the new report satisfies a set of conditions which includes that the new report was previously generated within the specified time prior to the time associated with the new report request, then retrieving a previously generated report from the report cache and providing the previously generated report to the client application; and if the new report does not satisfy a set of conditions which includes that the new report was previously generated within a specified time prior to the time associated with the new report request, then generating the new report and providing the new report to the client application.

18. The report processing system as recited in claim 17, wherein the report server is further configured to compare the new report request to a previous report request.

19. The report processing system as recited in claim 18, wherein the report server is further configured to compare a report parameter associated with the new report request to a report parameter associated with the previous report request.

20. The report processing system as recited in claim 18, wherein the report server is further configured to save a report parameter associated with the new report request.

21. The report processing system as recited in claim 18, wherein the report server is further configured to delete from the report cache a previously generated report that has existed for more than a specified time.

22. The report processing system as recited in claim 17, wherein the time associated with the new report request is the time the new report request was received, and the report server is configured to determine whether a new report specified by the new report request was previously generated within a specified time prior to the time the new report request was received.